Justice News

Couple Sentenced in Murder-for-Hire Case

AMARILLO, Texas — Randy Exavier Greene, 21, formerly of Stratford, Texas, and his co-conspirator, Brandi Nicole Blanco, 31, of Dalhart, Texas, were each sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater to serve 60 months in federal prison, following their guilty pleas in August 2016 to a superseding information charging each with one count of conspiracy to use an interstate commerce facility in the commission of murder-for-hire. U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas made the announcement.

Engaged to be married, Brandi Blanco and Randy Greene lived in Texas until January 2016, when they moved to Florida.

According to documents filed in the case, from approximately February to April 2016, Blanco and Greene used a cellphone to make calls from Florida to an individual (Person A) in Texas during which they solicited Person A to murder, for a sum of cash, the victim.

Person A received a phone call from Greene on February 22, 2016, in which Greene inquired if Person A knew the victim. Greene told Person A that Blanco was the beneficiary of a $1 million life insurance policy on the victim. Greene also told Person A that if he/she would “take care” of the victim, he/she could get some money out of the policy. Person A reported the call to the Dalhart Police Department.

In subsequent telephone conversations between Greene and Person A, and Blanco and Person A, the murder-for-hire, or as Greene called it, the “Hartley situation,” was discussed. Green said that he would pay $100,000 to Person A to commit the murder. Greene also advised that they wanted it to happen soon after he and Brandi Blanco “got caught up” (arrested) so they would be in jail and have an alibi. Their plan was for Blanco to collect on the insurance policy after she got out of jail. She also planned to get custody of three of her children when she was released from jail.

In a February 23, 2016 phone conversation, Blanco offered $125,000 to Person A to do the job and swore to God that she would pay Person A. Person A advised her that he/she would need information because he/she wanted to do the job right because he/she could “go to the chamber for this.” Blanco interrupted Person A and told Person A to do the job alone, saying that she would tell Person A all they needed to know to murder the victim.

In a phone conversation the next day, Greene told Person A that he wanted Blanco to be on camera in a Walmart when the murder happened. On February 26, 2016, Person A called Blanco to discuss the “deal” they had been talking about, and in that conversation, she told Person A to murder the victim while he was at work. When Person A suggested that he/she make it look like an accident, Blanco agreed.

In a March 3, 2016, conversation, Person A told Blanco that he/she was going to “take care of the situation” the day she got on the bus from Florida to Texas. Blanco told Person A that the insurer would have to find her immediately after the victim’s death.

Subsequently, Blanco and Greene were arrested on state charges. They were charged in a federal indictment in May 2016 with charges related to the murder-for-hire. The murder was not committed.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Ranger Division, and the Dalhart Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Taylor and Joshua Frausto were in charge of the prosecution.